This article portrays a shocking view but unfortunately somewhat common view of American society. Americans tend to quickly judge other countries. However at the same time, they fail to look at their own society. It is a shame to say this and to see this because I am American and a teacher.
In my opinion, no child should be denied a school lunch. There are rules and regulations in place when a child cannot afford a school lunch. In some cases, a child will be given a cheese sandwich and milk as a substitution. Why did this not happen here?
School lunches are especially important to those children who come from low-income households. For most of these children, school lunches are an important lifeline because they provide one of the only meals that the student will eat in a day. Some school districts have been providing school breakfasts because more and more children were not having breakfast at home due parents leaving early for work, lack of money, and other reasons.
No child should be ever denied a school lunch especially in a first world country like America. School lunches are important because when students are hungry due to a lack of food, they tend to behave poorly and have low scores and grades in their classes.
When denying a student a school lunch, we are not only letting the child go hungry but also doing harm to our society as a whole.
Also, this story shows what happens when you start privatizing government services. The purpose and goals of each part are different. Private companies are only interested in making money. These instances tend to happen more and more when you have companies who is only interested in making money. Privatization does not work in most cases.
What can we do to ensure every child receives a school lunch?
First: We must become aware and educated about the plight of the low-income and even middle-income families that are living throughout the world. This story took place in America. However, this happens everywhere in the world. It does not matter what country you are from. The problems of the working poor are worldwide. If you are a parent, join and be an active participant in your child school's PTA. Also, take a field trip to a local food bank or soup kitchen. Also, find out if the schools in your area outsourced their school lunch to a private company.
Second: Call your school administrators and Board of Education and ask questions and raise your concerns. Ask them why the are outsourcing their school lunch programs out a private company. Find out if school officials have the power to regulate and even intervene the operations of the private company when they are on the school premises. Make sure that the local authorities are aware that you are aware of the situation.
Third; Start up a group of concerned parents and individuals in order to discuss the issue at large. When different people come together, new ideas and perspectives will come into view.
Fourth: Write a petition. Nowadays, you can easily use the internet for this purpose. Go to Change.org and you will that people worldwide are writing petitions for everything.
Update to this story:
Four Employees Fired After Coelho Middle School Students Denied Lunch
ATTLEBORO, Mass. (AP) — A food service company spokesman said Friday it has fired four employees after about two dozen students at a Massachusetts middle school were denied lunches this week because their prepaid meal accounts ran low.
"There is a zero tolerance for any individual who leaves a child hungry," said Todd Shapiro, a spokesman for Islandia, N.Y.-based Whitsons Culinary Group.
The lunch decision outraged parents, who said some students at Coelho Middle School in Attleboro cried Tuesday after being told they couldn't eat. Parents and school officials said some students were told to throw their lunches away when they reached the checkout.
Whitsons officials apologized Friday and said it was a violation of its policy that only occurred at Coelho, which has students in fifth through eighth grades.
Marketing vice president Holly Van Seggern said Friday the company would give free lunch to all Coelho students for three days next week and also host a barbeque for students and families at a later time.
"There is nothing we take more seriously than the health and welfare of the children and families we serve, providing them with the nutrition they need so that they have the sustenance to engage in their studies on a daily basis," she said. "The fact that some of these boys and girls were denied access to their lunches is inexcusable."
She said the company has taken steps to ensure that no student will be denied lunch again, and the company will notify parents directly when their account balances are low.
